Who is the Patriots Jet Team Foundation
The Patriots Jet Team Foundation (PJTF) is an all-volunteer non-profit group that has served the community for over a decade – offering students experiences which are both valuable and life changing.
We are dedicated to get students excited about aviation, space, and STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] subjects and careers through our school outreach programs, learning center activities, mentorship, and scholarships.
We engage about 5,000 students annually from 30 schools across the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley.
Offer free, innovative, and hands-on programs designed to apply new concepts to real world examples.
Instill the importance of leadership, teamwork, commitment, and community service.
Our success is due to a community-based approach – involving teachers, parents, and educational partners.
Funding goes directly to support programs, activities, and scholarships as an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) group.
Volunteers are one of our most valuable resources. Get involved today!
Program & EVENT Highlights
School Outreach – held air rocket competitions [click for video], science projects, classroom presentations, and career fairs at schools across the San Francisco East Bay Area / Central Valley, including Travis AFB / Lemoore NAS schools.
High-Altitude Balloon Program – introduced at Excelsior Middle School for Gifted & Talented Education (GATE) Program – reached 107,000 feet, traveled 70 miles, and airborne ~2.5 hrs. [click for video]
Cross-Curriculum Aerospace Course – now offer a full year elective course at Freedom High School (previously a single semester class). Added more programs for the Air Force Junior ROTC Program at Heritage High School.
Summer Aerospace Course (AP Honors) – offered jointly with the University of the Pacific (UOP) and “Reach for the Stars” Foundation, splitting time between UOP and the PJTF Learning Center.
PJTF Learning Center – hosted groups for aerospace / STEM programs, including STEM academies, USN Sea Cadets (5-day national aviation course) and CAP Cadets (local / regional). Offered an Introduction to Aviation course – our most popular.
Scholarships – awarded 50 aviation scholarships to high school students (via competitive selection process) for private pilot ground school and flight training over last 7 years. Introduced college engineering scholarships in 2023.
Annual Aviation & Aerospace Career Fair – added more STEM-related groups, including Lawrence Livermore Labs, Pratt & Whitney, Joby Aviation (electric aircraft), and United Technical Operations along with a static aircraft display, including government agencies.
Next Generation Aerospace Educational Partners – expanded relationships with Joby Aviation, E-Space, and Planet Labs.
Free Introductory Flights for Kids– EAA Chapter 663, of Livermore, CA, provides EAA Young Eagles Flights for youth participating with the Patriots Jet Team Foundation.
Community Outreach – headliner for Stockton Ports (Oakland A’s minor league team) Educational Days with rocket launch demos (main field w/students), exhibits, and static Mig17 display. About 4,000 students at events.
Volunteers – added more instructors, program support staff, and student volunteers.
Looking FORWARD
We are pursuing several growth initiatives over a multi-year period. These include expanding our new college engineering scholarship program, assessing the feasibility of a robotics & engineering distributed workplace / offering related school grants, and adding new programs, particularly engaging more educational partners for our next generation aerospace curriculum, for example, E-Space, Joby Aviation, Planet Labs, and Stellant Systems. These firms rely heavy on the engineering disciplines to develop next generation products, technologies, and services.
Consistent with our philosophy, we have engaged these companies to help us develop new curriculum, provide volunteer instructors, offer technical support, and/or provide mentorship. Several firms have already hosted special engineering centric sessions (with their chief engineers / staff) at the PJTF Learning Center, including for the Dublin High School Engineering Academy and West Merrill Tracy High School Space & Engineering Academy. These students (about 40% young woman) have a keen interesting in pursuing careers in engineering and are potential candidates for our new Philip E. Gannon Engineering Scholarship Program.
Our new college engineering scholarships and distributed-based robotics & engineering workspace are named in honor of Philip E. Gannon. Over his lifetime, he had a keen interest in attracting and encouraging students around the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue STEM-related careers, particularly in engineering and construction disciplines, and offering competitive-based college engineering scholarships. Philip E. Gannon’s vision was embraced by three like-minded organizations – Philip E. Gannon Foundation, San Francisco Bay Area Engineering Council, and Engineers Club of San Franciso – who worked together for many years to deliver this common mission under the oversight of the Scholarship Trust Executive Committee (STEC).
The Patriots Jet Team Foundation was recently selected by the STEC (now dissolved) to continue its efforts given our shared vision / mission. This included sustainable funding for a new Philip E. Gannon Engineering Scholarship Program and Robotics & Engineering Workspace. We are so honored the STEC placed its trust in us and to help it immortalize the Philip E. Gannon Foundation, San Francisco Bay Area Engineering Council, and Engineers Club of San Francisco through our efforts to attract and encourage students to pursue STEM disciplines and careers via our school outreach programs, learning center activities, mentorship, and scholarships.
Acknowledgements / Awards
The Patriots Jet Team Foundation has received awards and recognition from various organizations – reflecting the commitment of our volunteers, educators, and donors to make a difference for the youth in our community.
U.S. Congress, California Senate & Assembly, and Contra Costa District 3.
The Association of California School Administrators – Friends of Education of the Year
Outstanding Partner in Education (ACSA Region 6)
Discovery Bay Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit of the Year
Civil Air Patrol Frank Brewer Memorial Award Recommendation / Certificate of Appreciation
KRON4 TV / ABC7 TV
Local Media